The Morning After
by DoctorMcCrimmon
Summary: Osgood and Captain Carter found themselves in another dimension, where their alternate selves were together. Awkward, yes. Especially when they had to play along and pretend to be their alternates when they got separated. If you thought that was embarrassing, try writing the case report on it. -Set after the Big Finish New UNIT Adventures episode False Negative.- Joshgood ship


The Morning After

The break room of UNIT, deep within the Tower of London, was quiet. The screen on the wall was off, black screen softly reflecting the fluorescent lights back at the slender captain. He sat silently in the corner of the round table, eyes gazing blankly into his near-empty cup of tea. The laptop in front of him sat with an equally empty case report. He filled in the preliminary information; date and time, location, type of occurrence, name of persons involved. But the case itself… that was still notably blank. The little green line flashed on the first line, taunting him out of the corner of his eye.

Movement at the door caught his attention, and he glanced up from his vacant gaze. Osgood didn't even seem to notice him as she strolled over to the coffee maker. Should he say something? No, by this point it might be awkward… him sitting there staring at her. Especially after the most recent adventure. The one currently taunting him with its empty stare. But if he didn't, and she noticed him first…? That'd make it even more awkward.

He didn't mean to stare, as the quiet scientist retrieved her mug from the cabinet, pouring herself a cup of coffee. The pattern on the ceramic, much like her phone's cover and lock screen, was of a blue police box, her favourite pattern. "Josh!" She startled as she turned, noticing his gaze. "Are… are you alright?" Her tone was soft, yet with a thread of concern.

Her exclamation dragged him from his thoughts, which currently were on the brunette before him, and the events of the day before. Yes, he'd been working on his report for over a day and it still wasn't even really started. Osgood was probably finished with hers already; he wondered exactly what she had put into her version of events. "Josh?" She sat across from him, setting her mug on the table in front of her, cradling it between her hands.

"Sorry… I was just… uh… working on the report." He admitted, withholding the fact that his mind kept wandering to when he thought she was her parallel universe self. "Did you file yours already?"

Her gaze flickered down to her cup, shaking her head subtly. "No. I started, but it's rather… awkward… trying to explain about… well, you know. All of it." He did know. All too well. "All I have is that the transportation capsule took us to an alternate dimension, and that while trying to charge it to get home, we got separated and ended up having to interact with the alternate of each other. I… um… wasn't sure how to phrase the whole… 'Captain sex machine' thing."

As she spoke, movement over her shoulder drew Josh's attention. Standing in the door was a fairly mortified looking Colonel Shindi. The senior officer simply stood there, possibly wondering if they sent away the wrong Osgood. Josh cleared his throat to try to tell her someone was there, but she continued.

"I mean, obviously I won't use that phrase. But I don't exactly know if I should even put in just how HANDSY you were. I mean, other you. Not YOU you. You were WAY less invasive with your hands and you were searching me for a gun… that I didn't have, but still." The words just tumbled out. She knew she should stop talking, but if she stopped, she'd just close off again. She couldn't help it, she always rambled when she felt nervous or uncomfortable.

Josh cleared his throat again, a little louder this time, eyes still darting between Osgood and the colonel. "You were a lot less… obnoxious… in your snogging. I should have noticed the difference. But I didn't expect YOU you to snog me, so I wasn't paying attention to–" He cleared his throat again, cutting her off this time. "Sorry… I'm making you uncomfortable talking about it, aren't I? I'll stop talking…" she trailed off, taking a sip of her coffee to avoid rambling on again.

"I think that'd be for the best." The straight backed SO agreed from behind her, causing her to choke on her coffee, coughing a bit. "At least until I'm out of the room." He didn't want to hear tales of his subordinate's 'liaison' with their scientific advisor.

Quickly strolling to the fridge, he retrieved a bottle of water. Giving the pair a perturbed look, he shook his head and walked to the doorway, a bit more stiff in his movements than usual. And he was a strictly disciplined soldier. Turning back briefly, he sighed, tone softening, but still a bit awkward. "And if you two ARE planning to continue with your… whatever it was that went on over there between you… don't do it at work. Keep it professional." With that, he left, muttering about inappropriate work behaviour.

Osgood's cheeks flushed as she averted her gaze, awkwardly staring into her coffee mug. Once the other soldier left, she hazarded a glance up towards the one across the table from her. He was watching her watch a mix of amusement and awkwardness. "Well, that was embarrassing, wasn't it?" She added quietly. Looking over her shoulder briefly, she leaned forward. "Why didn't you tell me he was standing there?" She demanded in a hushed voice.

"I did try. You just wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise. Besides, Shindi's reaction was downright hilarious." He couldn't help but chuckle over the interaction and his SO's expression during it. His eyes falling to her lips briefly before returning to meet her gaze, he added quietly. "Besides, I was rather flattered you think I'm a good kisser." He teased, taking a sip of his tea, frowning at how cold it had gotten. Setting it back down, he sighed, tapping absently at his laptop computer. "You know…" he added, glancing up at her momentarily and back down to his hand. "That was our second kiss… with each other, I mean. And I still haven't even bought you dinner."

She felt a flutter in her chest, her throat tightening nervously. "Oh… Um… well…" she had to take a deep puff from her inhaler, before trying again. "Captain Carter… are you asking me out on a date?" Her voice was hushed and she glanced over her shoulder again towards the break room doorway.

"Is that a yes?" He asked, voice sounding more confident than he felt. They DID basically get permission from the higher ups. At least one of them. He knew better than to tell Kate. The head of UNIT's London office had already told him she wouldn't want to hear about him and Osgood.

She wasn't expecting that. He WAS asking her out. Any smart response died on her tongue as she took a deep breath, calming herself before she had to take another dose of her inhaler. "I… we…" she stuttered, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "Alright. I mean… you're right… we've already kissed. Wait, twice?"

"In Antarctica… when I thought I was about to die." He offered, "and then when you came back from that evil alternate universe."

Straightening her glasses, she looked down at her coffee cup. "I thought you forgot about that one." She finally responded after a moment of silence. "You said you had."

With a heavy exhale, he got up to clean out his mug. "As if I could ever really forget that." He countered, his voice a mix of amused and frustrated. Setting the cup on a towel to dry, he turned back to her, sincerity filling in his features. "I only said that to make you feel better. And if you want to pretend neither of those kisses happened, that's your choice. I'll do whatever you want." He didn't want to. He wanted to kiss her again, to pull him into her arms and never let go. But he didn't. Because it was her choice, her decision.

His sincerity took her off guard; she wasn't used to him being so serious outside of life or death situations. It made her feel so… naive. "No… I mean, unless that's what you want. Is… is that what you want?" She asked quietly, shyly looking up at him.

He closed the distance between them in three long strides, crouching in front of her seat to be eye level with her. "You know what I want?" He asked, taking her hands in his and locking eyes with her. "I want to take you on that date. Then on another… and kiss you again. And do everything I can to make you happy and safe forever." His words made her heart flutter, but not in a frightened way this time. "But let's start with dinner, yeah?"

"Y… yeah. Right. Of course. Dinner sounds nice." She looked down at their joined hands, watching his thumbs gently tracing her knuckles. His laptop caught her eye and she shifted her gaze back to him, pulling her hand away trying not to sound as reluctant as she felt. "First, though, maybe we should work on those reports?"


End file.
